INFOGRAPHIC: Where People Spend The Most On Their Cars

Apparently, some care more for their cars than they do for their
families. According to DC
Streets Blog, the average American spends $2,536 dollars
annually on the health and well-being of each vehicle owned,
nearly as much as we spend on healthcare and insurance for each
humanoid member of the family.

We at Bundle wanted to know which cities were the most car-crazy
-- those who love their cars like (or more than) family. To do
so, we examined all households which had a credit card
transaction at standalone car wash or detailing facilities for
the 50 largest cities in the US. Then we determined average spend
by these households at those facilities, and indexed all of the
cities to the average to derive a "car crazy" status.

A city that has some of the worst traffic in the
country, Los Angeles ranked the most car crazy city in
America. L.A. residents spend 133 percent above average on
pampering their cars, making the city of the stars certifiably
car-crazy. Los Angeles wasn’t the only Californian
city that made our list: San Jose (#4), San Francisco (#6), and
Oakland (#8) are all certifiable as well. We’re not
surprised this state takes its cars so seriously. With cities
that are spread out, on coastlines, and easy to drive around,
having a car -- and upkeeping it -- in The Golden State makes
sense.

Why did Honolulu, HI rank #2 at 39 percent? While its bus
and trolly systems are reliable and
convenient, much of the island is separated
geographically by ridges and other geographical obstacles.
Getting around Honolulu-proper is do-able by bus, but if these
residents travel outside of the city, driving is a
must. Having a sturdy, well-kept car is important
in a state with rough terrain, and having a clean car is
important for a city whose residents spend much of their time at
the beach. There are no subways, trains, light rail or cabs
readily available in this city.

Though it's a city in which cars are discouraged, we can
understand the reasoning behind New York, New York coming in at
#3. In this concrete jungle, having a car more often
than not proves to be an expensive inconvenience as opposed to an
easy way to travel between destinations. However,
as New York City is one of the most expensive cities in the
world, while they may not be washing their cars as often as L.A.
residents, New Yorkers are paying through the roof for these
services. What’s more, New York’s stellar public transportation
system, less-than-stellar traffic, and relatively small
circumference are all reasons not to have a
car. Though it is only 15 percent car-crazy, for a city
where cars are discouraged, New York impressed us.

Next is San Jose at 8 percent, and following is Omaha, NE at 7
percent. Omaha is a unique city because it was
designed to combine the beauty of parks with the pleasure of
driving cars. Specific boulevards and parkways
contribute to this system, making cars an important aspect of
Omaha culture.

As you’ll see in the infographic below, midwest cities take
their cars in for a wash or detail the most. Wichita, KS (51
percent above the average wash number) is home to the
Starbird-Devlin Rod & Custom Charities Car Show, which is 55
years running. The cities that spend the most on keeping their
cars clean are mostly near coastlines.